Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For more information on his work, visit lordashcroft.com
To Clacton, for some focus groups to explore what local voters make of the rather unusual by-election that has been thrust upon them. Why is it happening? How do they feel about 34 candidates, only one of whom is from a major party? What do they think of its instigator? And what are they going to do?
“I thought it was a bit peculiar”
Explanations for Nigel Farage’s decision to stand down and offer himself for re-election varied – including media harassment and complaints that the government would not provide adequate security – but ultimately, they thought he was trying to make a point: “He wants to show everyone that even after the £5 million bung, they still want me, so there must be something I’ve got that they want.” Some, including a number of his own former voters, were rather more baffled: “I thought it was a bit peculiar and I can’t understand why he wants to do it again. I just think, if you wanted to stand down, just clear off;” “He talks about putting two fingers up to the establishment. But he is the establishment. He’s always been part of the establishment. So I don’t get that.”
“He’s been using people as pawns in his little game”
Local people – again including his own voters – were divided as to whether Farage was right to use a by-election to make a political point. Some thought it was justified and even courageous: “He’s quite brave, I think;” “He wanted to show that the people of Clacton wanted to keep him, and I think that’s reasonable. Even though I will vote for Binface.” Others complained about the cost, and what they saw as their MP using his constituents for his own ends: “He wanted the people of Clacton to re-elect him and prove a point. So basically, he’s been using people as pawns in his little game to prove a point to the government, that he is liked, or whatever;” “It also costs a lot of money, and we’re a low socio-economic area to start with. And if the outcome [of the Standards Committee inquiry] proves him guilty, there will be another by-election. So who foots the bill for that?”
“How many houses does he have?”
There were also very mixed views over Farage’s rhetoric on the people versus the establishment. This rang true for some, based on his willingness to challenge elite opinion: “Some of the things he’s come out with, everyone was thinking that someone had to say it, but only he has;” “I think the British people are looking for an alternative. The Conservatives have let them down. Labour have let them down;” “Because the subjects he’s addressing are labelled as racism, whoever brings them up is always going to get hammered. He’s just took it on the chin and rode with it and said, well, I think that’s what the country wants.”
Several disagreed, however. They pointed to his long career in politics and his comfortable financial position: “He comes across like, oh, I’m just like one of you, but he isn’t. How many houses does he have?” “He’s very good at giving this impression, beer in one hand, fag in the other, cor blimey, I’m one of your mates down the pub. Is he now starting to believe his own hype?”
“He gets a £5 million bung and thinks it’s no big deal”
There was considerable confusion, as well as sharply differing views, over the £5 million gift from Christopher Harborne. Several had confused the issue with other funding stories including donations from ‘Posh George’ Cottrell and his family: “I think he got the money from a crypto guy who’s basically a fraudster. And I’m sure it was his mum that gave the five million. She’s not going to have five million hanging around. ‘I’ll give that to Nigel Farage because he sounds like a good bloke’? I don’t think she knows who Nigel Farage is.” There were mixed accounts of the reasons for the gift: “If it was for the security side of things, that’s fair enough;” “Was it in order to promote cryptocurrency?” “I thought he was given it by this donor to encourage him to be an MP”.
Some robustly defended Farage’s right to accept the money without further explanation: “He wasn’t an MP at the time, was he?” “It was a personal gift to him. So he can do what he wants”. There were some qualms, however, once again among those who had helped elect him in 2024: “But what did they want in return for the five million? Nobody should have influence over an MP like that;” “He stood there and said ‘this money is mine. I could buy a Ferrari with it’. I found that a little bit, like, you’re talking to people that don’t have any money and you’re saying, ‘I could go and buy a Ferrari’;” “I feel this is why he can’t relate to normal people. He gets a £5 million bung and thinks it’s no big deal”.
Whatever the true explanation, some thought Farage could have done a better job of handling the matter: “As soon as he became an MP he should have said ‘by the way, I was given five million by a foreign businessman,’ and he’d have been alright. Possibly. But not saying that was asking for trouble”.
“It’s an insult to everybody else that you can’t be bothered”
For many participants, the fact that the main parties were not standing in the by-election was a source of consternation. Some supported their decision, or at least understood it: “I don’t disagree with them, to be honest, based on the fact that he called an election. He should have carried on, let the whole thing go through. He claims the gift thing is no problem, so do your job. Get on with it;” “I suppose he’s doing it to get a mandate, so they can say ‘we didn’t stand, so that doesn’t prove anything’. It’s kind of ‘we’re not playing your game’.” Another explanation was suggested more than once: “They’re probably scared to stand. They got their arses whipped at the last election. They didn’t actually have anyone they thought could beat him”.
At least as many, however, thought they should have contested the election, providing some proper opposition to Farage and offering local voters a real alternative: “If you’re dedicated to what you believe in, you’ve got to stand up for it. Surely you don’t just hide away in the background;” “I think if you’re serious about the local community, then you would stand. It’s an insult to everybody else that you can’t be bothered;” “They’ve written us off, haven’t they? They don’t think we’re worth putting up a Conservative candidate, a Labour candidate here”.
“We’re voting for silly. Or what we’ve already got”
Few of our participants said they had already decided what to do on 13 August, but they were leaning in various directions: “I want him back, but once that’s done get on with it and stop messing around;” “I’ll probably vote Farage. I don’t trust any of the others and what he’s done it ballsy;” “Because it’s such a shambles, I’ll probably go Binface”.
However, many were frustrated by the absence of what they saw as a real choice: “I voted for him but he does the absolutely bare minimum to be an MP. He doesn’t come here. He doesn’t have constituency meetings or anything like that. He’s not interested, he’s just doing it for himself. But there’s no-one else to vote for”.
This seemed to be especially true for former Conservative voters, who had no wish to vote for Farage but particularly disliked the idea of voting for a joke candidate: “It’s left us with a very difficult decision, hasn’t it? From ludicrous to somebody that’s already sitting. What is the electorate supposed to do with that? Do we just not bother?” “I’m torn because if they wanted control back of their areas and if they really cared and believed that they could help us, their residents, they could win. And they probably did stand a chance because I think people are fed up. We don’t really have the choice to vote for change. We’re voting for silly. Or what we’ve already got”.
Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For more information on his work, visit lordashcroft.com
To Clacton, for some focus groups to explore what local voters make of the rather unusual by-election that has been thrust upon them. Why is it happening? How do they feel about 34 candidates, only one of whom is from a major party? What do they think of its instigator? And what are they going to do?
“I thought it was a bit peculiar”
Explanations for Nigel Farage’s decision to stand down and offer himself for re-election varied – including media harassment and complaints that the government would not provide adequate security – but ultimately, they thought he was trying to make a point: “He wants to show everyone that even after the £5 million bung, they still want me, so there must be something I’ve got that they want.” Some, including a number of his own former voters, were rather more baffled: “I thought it was a bit peculiar and I can’t understand why he wants to do it again. I just think, if you wanted to stand down, just clear off;” “He talks about putting two fingers up to the establishment. But he is the establishment. He’s always been part of the establishment. So I don’t get that.”
“He’s been using people as pawns in his little game”
Local people – again including his own voters – were divided as to whether Farage was right to use a by-election to make a political point. Some thought it was justified and even courageous: “He’s quite brave, I think;” “He wanted to show that the people of Clacton wanted to keep him, and I think that’s reasonable. Even though I will vote for Binface.” Others complained about the cost, and what they saw as their MP using his constituents for his own ends: “He wanted the people of Clacton to re-elect him and prove a point. So basically, he’s been using people as pawns in his little game to prove a point to the government, that he is liked, or whatever;” “It also costs a lot of money, and we’re a low socio-economic area to start with. And if the outcome [of the Standards Committee inquiry] proves him guilty, there will be another by-election. So who foots the bill for that?”
“How many houses does he have?”
There were also very mixed views over Farage’s rhetoric on the people versus the establishment. This rang true for some, based on his willingness to challenge elite opinion: “Some of the things he’s come out with, everyone was thinking that someone had to say it, but only he has;” “I think the British people are looking for an alternative. The Conservatives have let them down. Labour have let them down;” “Because the subjects he’s addressing are labelled as racism, whoever brings them up is always going to get hammered. He’s just took it on the chin and rode with it and said, well, I think that’s what the country wants.”
Several disagreed, however. They pointed to his long career in politics and his comfortable financial position: “He comes across like, oh, I’m just like one of you, but he isn’t. How many houses does he have?” “He’s very good at giving this impression, beer in one hand, fag in the other, cor blimey, I’m one of your mates down the pub. Is he now starting to believe his own hype?”
“He gets a £5 million bung and thinks it’s no big deal”
There was considerable confusion, as well as sharply differing views, over the £5 million gift from Christopher Harborne. Several had confused the issue with other funding stories including donations from ‘Posh George’ Cottrell and his family: “I think he got the money from a crypto guy who’s basically a fraudster. And I’m sure it was his mum that gave the five million. She’s not going to have five million hanging around. ‘I’ll give that to Nigel Farage because he sounds like a good bloke’? I don’t think she knows who Nigel Farage is.” There were mixed accounts of the reasons for the gift: “If it was for the security side of things, that’s fair enough;” “Was it in order to promote cryptocurrency?” “I thought he was given it by this donor to encourage him to be an MP”.
Some robustly defended Farage’s right to accept the money without further explanation: “He wasn’t an MP at the time, was he?” “It was a personal gift to him. So he can do what he wants”. There were some qualms, however, once again among those who had helped elect him in 2024: “But what did they want in return for the five million? Nobody should have influence over an MP like that;” “He stood there and said ‘this money is mine. I could buy a Ferrari with it’. I found that a little bit, like, you’re talking to people that don’t have any money and you’re saying, ‘I could go and buy a Ferrari’;” “I feel this is why he can’t relate to normal people. He gets a £5 million bung and thinks it’s no big deal”.
Whatever the true explanation, some thought Farage could have done a better job of handling the matter: “As soon as he became an MP he should have said ‘by the way, I was given five million by a foreign businessman,’ and he’d have been alright. Possibly. But not saying that was asking for trouble”.
“It’s an insult to everybody else that you can’t be bothered”
For many participants, the fact that the main parties were not standing in the by-election was a source of consternation. Some supported their decision, or at least understood it: “I don’t disagree with them, to be honest, based on the fact that he called an election. He should have carried on, let the whole thing go through. He claims the gift thing is no problem, so do your job. Get on with it;” “I suppose he’s doing it to get a mandate, so they can say ‘we didn’t stand, so that doesn’t prove anything’. It’s kind of ‘we’re not playing your game’.” Another explanation was suggested more than once: “They’re probably scared to stand. They got their arses whipped at the last election. They didn’t actually have anyone they thought could beat him”.
At least as many, however, thought they should have contested the election, providing some proper opposition to Farage and offering local voters a real alternative: “If you’re dedicated to what you believe in, you’ve got to stand up for it. Surely you don’t just hide away in the background;” “I think if you’re serious about the local community, then you would stand. It’s an insult to everybody else that you can’t be bothered;” “They’ve written us off, haven’t they? They don’t think we’re worth putting up a Conservative candidate, a Labour candidate here”.
“We’re voting for silly. Or what we’ve already got”
Few of our participants said they had already decided what to do on 13 August, but they were leaning in various directions: “I want him back, but once that’s done get on with it and stop messing around;” “I’ll probably vote Farage. I don’t trust any of the others and what he’s done it ballsy;” “Because it’s such a shambles, I’ll probably go Binface”.
However, many were frustrated by the absence of what they saw as a real choice: “I voted for him but he does the absolutely bare minimum to be an MP. He doesn’t come here. He doesn’t have constituency meetings or anything like that. He’s not interested, he’s just doing it for himself. But there’s no-one else to vote for”.
This seemed to be especially true for former Conservative voters, who had no wish to vote for Farage but particularly disliked the idea of voting for a joke candidate: “It’s left us with a very difficult decision, hasn’t it? From ludicrous to somebody that’s already sitting. What is the electorate supposed to do with that? Do we just not bother?” “I’m torn because if they wanted control back of their areas and if they really cared and believed that they could help us, their residents, they could win. And they probably did stand a chance because I think people are fed up. We don’t really have the choice to vote for change. We’re voting for silly. Or what we’ve already got”.